photo credit: abooth202
Following the clean eating lifestyle means that you are probably eating at least every 2 to 3 hours. Unless you work from home or are a stay-at-home parent, packing a cooler is probably not necessary. However, for those who have busy schedules, packing a cooler full of snacks and meals can be a huge benefit.
- Helps prevent you from cheating (grabbing fast-food, etc.)
- Takes stress out of figuring out what to eat for each meal
- Much more convenient
Cooler Packing Tips
It seems like packing a cooler full of food every day can be a chore. In reality, it can be, but it doesn't have to feel that way if you stay organized. It can become a habit - a very healthy one with a little effort.
1. Make it a part of your routine - Just like you prep for each day, packing a cooler can become a simple routine. After all, it is about your health. If your goal is to eat better, feel better, and even lose weight, then preparing your day's meals is essential.
2. Get a nice-sized cooler - To begin, you will need a cooler that is large enough to accommodate your plastic food containers, beverages, sandwich bags, etc. There are various coolers available from hard plastic to soft plastic.
3. Use decent plastic food storage containers - Investing in a nice set of food storage containers will make packing meals a lot easier. You'll want a set that contains a variety of sizes.
4. Cook extra food - When preparing your meals, make enough for the next day's meals. One way to make things easier is to prepare your meals twice a week and store them to last for the week. This way, all you have to do is grab your containers and drop them into your cooler.
There are many ways to make it work and over time, you will eventually find your rhythm. Do you pack a cooler every day? What are some of your tips?
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Custom LeatherCraft 1540 15-Inch BigMouth Cooler Bag
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I pack my lunch everyday and it’s super simple. Sunday afternoon I take an hour or so to prep all my meals (except dinners) for the week. Breakfasts of oatmeal, almond slivers and blueberries (kept separate) are all portioned out into small containers I take to work and heat up in the microwave. Lunches are usually a salad. I make two different kinds so I don’t get bored and put them all together so I just have to grab it and stick it in the cooler in the morning. I find that romaine lettuce stays the best, so if I make a spinach salad I make sure to eat that sooner. And anything wet I may wrap separately but put it in the same container. This is a HUGE time and money saver!
Don’t forget the thermos. With the cool weather months my husband loves that I make a big pot of soup on Sunday so that he has something warm to eat. He does not have the luxury of a microwave and works outside 99% of the time. I have also heated leftovers and filled his thermos when no soup was available. Just remember to warm the thermos for 10 min. with warm water before filling and the contents stay warm for hours. Also make sure to spend the few extra dollars for a quality thermos.